Chapter 41

"Okay."

Jack looked at Sophia's wide, expectant eyes, and his heart softened. He smiled and nodded. "Since you like it, let's go check it out."

"Yay! Jack, you're the best!"

Sophia jumped up excitedly and gave Jack a big hug across the dining table.

Seeing Sophia's smile return, a weight lifted off Jack's chest.

This was the first time Sophia had seemed this happy since William's incident.

As long as it made her happy, never mind a concert. Even if it meant tearing all of Viridis State apart, Jack would do it without hesitation.

After breakfast, Jack looked up at Sophia. She was still wearing the same white dress from a few days ago. Since William's incident, Sophia seemed to have stopped caring about her appearance. The woman who used to be so radiant now looked dull and drained.

This was understandable.

After all, now that Isabella had kicked her out, where would she have spare money to dress herself up?

This made Jack's heart ache.

It was his fault too, for not noticing these things right away.

"Sophia."

Jack stood up and looked at Sophia. "Let's go shopping."

"Shopping?" Sophia was stunned for a moment.

"Yes, to buy some clothes," Jack said with a smile.

Sophia froze, then looked down at her white dress, then gently shook her head and said quietly, "Jack, there's no need, I... I have enough clothes to wear."

After William's death, Sophia had no source of income. She knew Jack was very capable now, but she didn't want Jack to spend too much money on her.

"Come on, listen to me."

Jack stepped forward and gently ruffled Sophia's hair, his voice full of affection.

He couldn't let his little princess live like Cinderella. He wanted Sophia to always be a princess.

Under Jack's firm insistence, Sophia finally nodded.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the most bustling commercial street in Viridis State.

The sun was bright, and crowds filled the streets.

Jack led Sophia into the largest upscale women's boutique.

The store was luxuriously decorated, with a faint scent of perfume in the air. Every piece of clothing hanging on the racks looked expensive.

"Hello, welcome..."

A female sales clerk came forward, but after she took in Jack and Sophia's attire, a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes.

Her tone turned cold. "Sir, everything in our store is from international high-end designers, all major labels, and quite expensive. If you're just looking, you'll need to shop elsewhere."

The meaning was crystal clear.

She was saying they couldn't afford it and should leave.

Sophia's pretty face turned red. She gently tugged at Jack's sleeve. "Jack, maybe we should try another store."

Being looked down upon like this made her feel terrible.

But what made her feel even worse was that Jack was being looked down upon along with her.

That hurt more than anything.

Jack, however, acted as if he hadn't heard the clerk's words. His expression remained calm as he gently held Sophia's hand and reassured her, "It's fine, I'm here."

Jack's gaze moved across the display cases.

Before long, he pointed to a dress in one of the cases and said, "Please take that dress out. We'd like to try it on."

This dress had a simple and elegant design, but it still carried a noble, refined feel. The fabric also looked carefully chosen. Although Jack couldn't tell what material it was, it clearly wasn't ordinary.

The female clerk was stunned.

Following Jack's finger, she couldn't help but curl her lips into a mocking smile. "Sir, that's the jewel of our store. It was designed by a famous master and made from the finest silk. If you damage it or get it dirty, you can't afford to pay for it. Besides, that dress isn't available to try on."

The implication was obvious: Can you even afford it?

Sophia's face turned even redder.

Both embarrassed and angry.

Jack turned his gaze to the clerk, his eyes dark and steady, carrying a quiet pressure.

"Not available to try on?" Jack said.

The clerk raised her eyebrows. "That's right."

"Get your manager," Jack said again.

The clerk froze for a beat, then burst out laughing as if she'd heard the funniest joke.

"Get our manager?"

She looked Jack up and down, the contempt in her eyes growing stronger, her tone sharp and bitter. "What, you want to complain about me? Or do you think our manager would waste time on a poor loser like you?"

"Let me tell you, our manager is very busy. He's attending to an important VIP guest, and he doesn't have time for people like you."

"I said no trying on, so no trying on. Now leave."

Jack's eyes turned cold.

"Is that so?"

"Then I'll go find him myself."

With that, Jack moved toward the inside.

"What are you doing?"

The female clerk rushed to block him.

However, the moment her hand touched Jack's arm, she stumbled back as if jolted by a sudden force and fell to the ground.

Just then, an inner door opened.

A somewhat overweight middle-aged man in a suit came out, all smiles, escorting a wealthy-looking woman.

"What's going on?"

Seeing the clerk sitting on the floor, the manager frowned and asked.

The clerk quickly scrambled up and pointed at Jack. "Manager! This man is crazy! He tried to force his way into the VIP room, and he even tried to hit me!"

She clutched her arm, still sore from the impact, looking aggrieved as she complained, though her eyes showed the malice of someone trying to pin it on him.

The manager's face immediately darkened.

But he still suppressed his anger and looked at Jack. "Sir, if you're not buying anything, please leave, or I'll have to call security."

Jack looked at the clerk, who was twisting the story, his eyes cold. "What a mouth."

Then Jack looked at the manager. "I'm not causing trouble. We just wanted to try on that dress, but she said it isn't available to try on. I want to ask, is that true?"

The manager instinctively looked in the direction Jack was pointing.

When he saw it was the store's most expensive item, the so-called jewel of the store, the silk dress, his expression froze.

This was their store's treasure.

Priced at five hundred thousand dollars.

These two young people in front of him, the man in ordinary casual clothes and the woman in an old dress washed until it had faded, didn't look like people who could afford it.

"Sir, we don't have a rule against trying things on, but that dress is our store's treasure..."

The manager's tone was much more polite than the clerk's, but the meaning was the same. He was afraid they would damage it and wouldn't be able to pay for it.